The Salvatore School for Troubled Youth

The Gardens

Josie leads Hope through the school to the gardens. They continue holding hands as they walk there until they pass a staff member who reprimands them for physical contact.

Despite this, Josie is still excited to show Hope the garden.

"Welcome to the Salvatore School Garden," Josie proudly announces.

"Wow," Hope looks around. "I can see this place from the window in my room, but it's even prettier in person."

Something about being surrounded by the plants is just different. The colors are more vibrant, the details are clearer and more distinct. The vitality of it all us just really refreshing.

As Hope marvels at the beauty of all the flowers, Josie gets right to work.

"Here's one of the flowers on your list," Josie picks a few and hands them to Hope to hold.

Josie goes through the rest of the list in a similar fashion, easily being able to locate each plant despite there being no labels in sight.

"I didn't know you were an amateur botanist," Hope comments, amused but also in awe at watching Josie do her thing.

"It's one of the non-academic activities I enjoy here," Josie tells her. "I started spending time here whenever I was upset or just needed a minute to myself. And then I fell in love with the beauty and mystery of it all."

Hope imagines it's similar to the way she feels about art, a refuge from the world.

"And I think I know where one of the others is," Josie cutely sticks her pointer finger in the air as if she's just had a new idea.

Hope follows Josie around the garden until Josie abruptly stops.

"Here, lanuae potestatem," Josie announces proudly.

She takes a few leaves before a look of contemplation comes across her face.

"It's either that, or..." she trails off, staring at it intensely. "Both are scentless, but I know the one we want tastes like cinnamon."

Josie raises a leaf to her lips, but Hope worriedly stops her.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to eat one of these if you don't know what it is?"

"The lower grades have access to this stuff, so nothing's dangerous."

Hope reluctantly lets Josie put the leaf in her mouth.

"This does not taste like cinnamon," Josie chews it and makes a disgusted face. "It must be blue calamus."

"What's blue calamus?" Hope anxiously asks.

"Truth weed."

"Oh no," Hope facepalms.

"You know, I thought you were a total bitch when you first got here, interesting, but still a total bitch. But now I think you're actually kinda cute," Josie throws a hand over her mouth in shock that she just said that out loud to Hope.

They stand in silence for a moment. Hope's face bears an emotionless expression, and Josie can't tell what she's thinking from it.

"Please say something," Josie begs.

"Why don't we take a break," Hope suggests.

There's so many things Hope wants to say and ask, but she doesn't want to advantage of Josie in this state.

They go back to Hope's room, where Hope collects the stack of books and hands it to Josie.

"Read through some of this, and we can meet another day to work on the project."

Before Josie can get a word out, she realizes she's already been gently shoved out the door.